Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Gov. Johnson Signs Legal Brief Supporting Marriage Equality

Former Gov. Gary Johnson's name is among the 80-plus prominent Republicans who have signed a  legal brief to be submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a high-profile same-sex marriage case.

The list of Republicans on that list includes several ex-governors, including Jon Huntsman of Utah, Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and William Weld, Paul Cellucci  and Jane Swift, all of Massachusetts.

There also are several former members of President George W. Bush's administration and campaigns, former GOP National Chairman Ken Mehlman, President Reagan's Office of Management and Budget director David Stockman, a couple of members of Congress and dozens more.

One technical matter though. Unless he's changed his registration since November, Johnson isn't a Republican anymore. I saw him with my own eyes change his registration from Republican to Libertarian, his first step in becoming the Libertarian Party's 2012 presidential nominee.

The Supreme Court intends to hear a suit next month that seeks to reverse the 2008 California ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage. The high court also plans to hear a case seeking to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Slate has the entire list of dignitaries who signed on to the brief.